January 14, 2018
A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin
The basics
Title: A Dance With Dragons
Author: George R. R. Martin
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire #5
- A Game of Thrones (1996) - A Clash of Kings (1998) - A Storm of Swords (2000) - A Feast for Crows (2005) - A Dance with Dragons (2011) - The Winds of Winter (2018?) - A Dream of Spring (who knows)
Add it: Goodreads
Goodreads Summary:
In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever. Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice. From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.
Here is a spoiler summary of what happened in A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin to help refresh your memory before you read the sequel.
what happened in A Dance With Dragons
- Jon Snow wants to win the wildlings over so they’ll a) join his army, and b) not become wights at the hands of the Others. The brothers of the Night’s Watch do not like this idea.
- Jon brings some wildlings through the Wall.
- The Night’s Watch stab Jon.
- Melisandre disguises a guy to make him look like Mance Rayder and burns him. The real Mance Rayder is disguised as the guy.
- Melisandre tells Jon that Arya Stark is on her way. Rayder and a bunch of other people go to meet her.
- This woman is actually someone called Alys Karstark because Melisandre sucks at visions.
- Stannis moves against Ramsay Bolton, who’s stationed at Winterfell.
- Davos goes to see Wyman Manderly and the Freys imprison him.
- Robett Glover frees Davos.
- Wex Pike tells Davos that Bran Stark, Jojen Reed, Meera Reed, and Rickon Stark are alive.
- Davos is to find Rickon, and if he does, House Manderly will join Stannis.
- Ramsay Bolton releases Reek (Theon Greyjoy) to convince the ironborn to surrender so that Roose Bolton can return home.
- Stannis captures Asha Greyjoy.
- Jeyne Poole arrives in Winterfell and becomes Ramsey’s new bride while pretending to be Arya Stark. Theon tells her that this is a bad idea.
- Mance Rayder smuggles Jeyne out of Winterfell and join up with Stannis.
- Ramsay Bolton writes to Jon and tells him Stannis is dead. He also wants Reek and Jeyne back, which suggests that they’re alive.
- The Sons of the Harpy start killing Dany’s men in Meereen. The citizens of Meereen aren’t too happy with her either.
- Dany’s dragons start acting like bratty teenagers. They start eating children.
- Quaithe of the Shadow says to Dany: “Soon comes the pale mare (an actual horse), and after her the others. Kraken (Victarion Greyjoy) and dark flame, lion (Tyrion Lannister) and griffin, the sun’s son and the mummer’s dragon.”
- Varys smuggles Tyrion Lannister to Pentos and leaves him with Illyrio Mopatis. Tyrion decides he’s going to help Daenerys.
- Tyrion travels with Griff and Young Griff. Young Griff is Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia of Dorne.
- Tyrion runs into Penny and Jorah Mormont.
- The ship they are all on is attacked by slavers, and Jorah, Tyrion, and Penny, are sold in Meereen as entertainment.
- Victarion Greyjoy is on his way to Meereen with the dragon-binding horn. A red priest called Moquorro offers to show him how to use the horn.
- Quentyn Martell makes it to Meereen with proof that Arianne and Viserys were to marry. Prince Doran wants Quentyn and Dany to marry instead.
- Quentyn arrives too late because Dany marries Hizdahr zo Loraq instead.
- Hizdar zo Loraq tries to have Dany poisoned and Quentyn is a suspect.
- Quentyn goes to try to take two of Dany’s dragons but they burn him and kill him.
- The two Griffins hire the a bunch of sellswords and decide to attack Westeros.
- Aegon wants to marry Dany.
- The elder Griffin – Connington – gets greyscale.
- The Griffins conquer Griffin’s Roost and plan to attack Storm’s End.
- A refugee arrives in Meereen on a pale mare. The refugee brings a plague to Meereen.
- Dany sleeps with Daario Naharis.
- Dany’s marriage to Hizdahr zo Loraq means that there’s a ceasefire and the Sons of the Harpy stop being annoying.
- Dany locks up her two smaller dragons to stop them from eating the children but Drogon escapes.
- Dany opens up the fighting pits.
- Drogon interrupts the first game and Dany rides off on his back away from Meereen.
- Dany attempts to return to Meereen on foot but runs into a khalasar belonging to Khal Jhaqo.
- It’s revealed that Arya’s blindness is part of her training. She refuses the antidote every night.
- Jaime Lannister travels to Raventree Hall. Brienne of Tarth arrives and says she’s found one of the Stark girls. This is a lie, presumably to lead Jaime to Catelyn Stark.
- Doran is sending Myrcella back to King’s Landing. Cersei wanted Trystane to go as well but Doran refused. Doran convinced Myrcella to lie to Cersei about the goings on in Dorne.
- Cersei Lannister is still imprisoned by the High Septon. She confesses to him.
- Kevan Lannister visits and tells Cersei about Myrcella being injured ad Oakheart dying.
- Cersei promotes Robert Strong to the Kingsguard.
- Cersei is released to the Red Keep to spend time with Tommen before the trial, but she has to walk there naked.
- Kevan Lannister goes to Grand Maester Pycelle’s quarters and find him dead. Varys then kills Kevan Lannister, saying that he does it because he was going to “undo all the queen’s good work”.
- Varys thinks this way, Aegon can take the throne.
That’s what happened in A Dance With Dragons! Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!
